


No Business Like Show Business

by Em3kitty



Series: Soul Business [1]
Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, F/M, Fluff, Kinda, M/M, Meaningful Touches, Nothing explicit, Nothing overly sexual, Romantic Soulmates, SO MUCH FLUFF, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, The Author Regrets Nothing, a bit of polyamory, i feel so bad for charity for real, it's cotton candy it's so sweet and fluffy, keeping it clean, poor charity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-14 12:19:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14135910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Em3kitty/pseuds/Em3kitty
Summary: When children turn thirteen, the first words their soulmate will ever speak to them will appear in their soulmates handwriting. I wonder what words appeared on Phineas T. Barnum...





	1. The Meeting

 

“Yes, I did, indeed. Refunds are available at the front box office.”

From the moment he turned 13, Phineas Taylor Barnum knew that he was destined to be in show business. It wasn’t his flair for the dramatics, or his endless imagination, no. It was the words scrawled diagonally across his left shoulder and down his collarbone, finishing on his sternum.

His soulmate sounded like a cynic, someone who never had enough light in their life. Someone who felt trapped. He knew, then and there, that he would be the person to bring joy, to bring that light, to be that key, to set them free.

When Charity Hallett turned thirteen, her parents began to worry. By the time she was fourteen, and her words had still not appeared, her parents were terrified. When she was twenty-five and Phineas Taylor Barnum appeared at their front door asking for her hand in marriage, they were in two minds. Very few wished to marry someone without their words, so that she were to be married at all was a miracle. On the other hand, they knew Phineas had words, and were worried over what would become of their daughter when he were to meet his other half.

They needn’t have worried.

Years past and Phineas had all but given up on his dream, and on finding his soulmate. He had a beautiful family that he loved more than anything; two beautiful girls, Helen and Caroline. Despite this, he had that niggling feeling in the back of his mind that he should be doing more with his life.

When his circus was booming, and happiness and joy was abundant within his family, he still felt that he needed _more_. He had the lower class in the palm of his hand, next step? The upper class. Or that was what he told himself.

When Phineas saw Phillip Carlyle from across the room at his daughter’s ballet recital, inhaling a flute of champagne as if it were water, he knew there was something about him that was special. ‘A good business partner’ he said to himself.

Maybe just a different type of business.

When Phineas approached Phillip after his play, ‘The Reckless Lover,’ and introduced himself, the last thing he was expecting was to have his words repeated back at him. Completely out of fear that the young man standing in front of him was not his soulmate – after all, if he were, shouldn’t he have reacted differently to Phineas introducing himself – he continued on with his business proposal.

Later, back at the Museum, Phineas and Phillip were sharing yet another bottle of whiskey – _1804_ to be precise, a particularly good year. “Are you attached Mr. Carlyle?”

Glancing down and the glass he was nursing, Phillip scoffed. “If I’m to be your _overcompensated apprentice_ I think you should just call me Phil, don’t you?”

Phineas slowly lowered his glass from where he had raised it, having about to take a swig. “You’re avoiding the question Phil.”

Phillip bit the inside of his cheek, almost ashamed, eyes never lifting from the nearly empty glass in his lap. “I’ve had my words spoken to me by nearly every person in high society New York. If my soulmate has come around, I wouldn’t have known. Believe it or not, you spoke the very same words tonight yourself P. T.”

Phineas’ eyes widened in what would have been a comedic manner if it were to be in any other situation. As it was, confirming that the young man in front of you is your soulmate is no laughing matter.

“What would you say if I told you, that you spoke my words to me tonight?”

Phillip’s gaze snapped to meet Phineas’. “Phineas Barnum, I give you one chance, right now, to confirm what you just said, or I am walking out that door and never coming back.”

Phineas’ intense gaze never left Phillip’s as he silently reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt. With a gulp in an effort to remove the lump from his throat, Phillip’s gaze slowly trailed down past Phineas’ jaw, down his long neck, and to the black inky words inscribed across his chest. Leaning forward, Phillip subconsciously reached out, as if to touch the words, clearly in his own handwriting.

When Phillip’s fingers lightly brushed against his chest, Phineas inhaled sharply, his fingers snapping around Phillip’s wrist. Both men froze, unable to move, Phillip’s eyes still glued to the inky swirling patterns on Phineas’ chest.

“I’ve shown you mine, you show me yours.”

The soft words from the older man brought Phillip out of his thoughts, causing him to leisurely lift his eyes to meet Phineas’. Seeing nothing but kindness and a glint of mischief in the older man’s eye, Phillip slowly leant backwards, his hand sliding from Phineas’ grasp, fingers grazing and lingering as he did so. With smooth motions, he unbuttoned his shirt enough to slide the off his shoulder. Twisting around, he turned to show Phineas his words. So distracted by the expanse of smooth skin in front of him, he almost didn’t notice the black inked words scrawled across Phillip’s shoulder blade in his very own _chicken scratch_.

Silently, Phineas reached out and placed his hand on Phillip’s shoulder, cupping it ever so slightly. Phillip stiffened slightly and the hand on his shoulder before relaxing into his hold. When he felt lips against his shoulder blade, he gave a violent shudder. It was not a shudder of disgust, but of content, and after his body stopped shaking, an inner peace unlike anything he had felt before. Unconsciously, he sighed, slumping back against Phineas’ chest, and that was when Phineas noticed, giving a low chuckle that vibrated throughout Phillip.

In silent protest, the younger man refused to sit up, only laying his head back against his partner’s shoulder looking at him in question.

“What’s so funny?”

Phineas didn’t answer immediately, instead, he smiled down at Phillip, beaming widely, eyes sparkling with happiness and content. Softly, he brushed his lips against the younger mans temple. With his nose running along Phillip’s temple, he softly whispered, and with every word, his lips brushed Phillip’s ear.

“Our words, they line up perfectly.”

With a breathy chuckle, Phillip gave a crooked smile. “That’s something my parents refused to tell me when I was growing up. I guess they thought I’d have to find out for myself.” He chuckled for a moment before his smile dropped and Phineas drew back in order to look the younger man in the eye.

“Phil? What is it?”

Phillip merely closed his eyes, and subconsciously curled in on himself, mentally preparing for the pain he thought was to come.

“My parents. I’ve become the biggest disappointment possible, doing the two worst things I could do in their eyes, both in the same night. Run away and join the circus, and find out that my soulmate _is a man_.” He gave a wry, sarcastic smile at his own words. “Oh, and let’s not forget _your wife_.”

Phineas didn’t respond at first, instead, choosing to gently run his fingers through Phillip’s hair in a, hopefully, soothing manner. “Phil, we have consumed probably an entire bottle of whiskey _each_ . It’s late. Go to sleep and we’ll talk about this in the morning. _The three of us_.”

 


	2. The Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter sorry.

When morning came, so did the knock on the Barnum’s door that Charity had been mentally preparing herself for, ever since Phineas came home in the early hours of the morning. Taking a deep breath, and plastering a nervous smile on her face, Charity opened the door, silently welcoming Phillip inside.

“The children are at the circus, Lettie’s looking after them. It’s just us here. Phin is in the study.” Giving Phillip another nervous smile, she guided him through the large entrance way and into Phineas’ study.

When Phillip entered, he saw a large ornate desk that had been carved with intricate details depicting animals. Even in his home life, Phineas was eccentric and passionate about his work with the circus - his life’s work. To the side of the desk was 2 large, overly plush couches that Charity directed him towards. Glancing up from his seat behind the desk, Phineas finally noticed Phillip and Charity’s arrival. Setting down his pen, Phineas reached into one of the draws beside his desk.

“Hello Phil, would you like a drink?”

Phillip nervously bit his lip. “I think we both had enough to drink last night.”

Smirking, Phineas replied, “Too right” as he slipped the bottle back into the draw, closing it, and standing. Silently, he moved from behind the desk, and chose to sit on the edge of the table placed in front of the two couches, of which Charity was sitting on one end and Phillip on the other. Reaching forward, he took both of Phillips hands in one of his, and with his other, both of Charity’s hands.

“Last night, something happened that cannot be ignored. But neither can I ignore the last twenty-five years I have spent with my wife, I cannot ignore the two beautiful girls I have.”

“Phinea-”

“Feelings cannot happen overnight, nor can they disappear in one either.”

“Darling-”

“I still love Charity, my wife, and I will not leave her, or the girls, for someone I have just met, nor do I expect her to do the same.”

“Phineas Taylor Barnum you listen to me right now.”

So deep in his dramatic monologuing that he had not been paying any attention to the two people in front of him. As he had been speaking, Phillip had been growing more and more hurt, visibly building up a wall between them. Charity, on the other hand, had been growing increasingly frustrated with her husband, who was being so self-absorbed that he had not noticed her trying to say anything. Her snappish voice was what brought him out of his thoughts to see the two people in front of him. Phineas’ confused gaze met Charity’s angry glare as the two of them locked gazes.

“Am I not good enough?”

Phillip’s soft question caused the married couple to snap their attention to the young man beside them, almost giving them whiplash.

“What?” Phineas wasn’t sure whether to be offended or concerned.

Gulping, Phillip spoke again, louder this time. “Am I not good enough? For you…?” What had started as a confident question tapered off into unsurety.

This time, it was Phineas’ turn for his face to turn ashen. Removing his hands from the clasp of the two people in front of him, Phineas ran his hands down his face, rubbing his cheeks and the slight stubble on them in thought. Lowering his hands, he levelled Phillip with a stare before reaching out to cup his cheeks.

“You have no idea how much you mean to me and I’ve only just met you, but I have _only just met you_ , and I have been married to Charity for the past 15 years. We have two beautiful girls together. I can’t just give all that up, we can make things work. You’ve seen how society treats people _without_ soulmarks. I’m just glad people don’t question the two of us. We’ve known each other for over 25 years, before we even got our marks.”

Charity cleared her throat, bringing Phineas’ thoughts back on track.

“What I’m trying to say is that I _do_ want to be with you, so very very much. I want to learn what it’s like to wake up in the morning next to you. I want to learn how you take your morning coffee. I want to learn if you snore or talk in your sleep. I want to learn what jokes make you smile and what jokes make you roll your eyes. I want to learn the way your hair falls in your face when you sleep. I want to learn the way your eyes crinkle when you smile. I want to learn how you reach the top shelf in the kitchen that is just out of reach. I want to learn what foods will inexplicably make you moan with delight. I want to learn what foods make you gag so hard you won’t know if you can breathe. I want to learn how to be the one to take your breath away. I want to learn the way your lips feel against mine. I want to learn how you feel in my arms on a cold winter's night. I want to feel how cold your toes feel as you rub them against my calves. I want to learn how to make you blush so red people would ask if you were sunburnt. I want to learn all the little ticks that frustrate you. I want to learn the way wrinkles will form on your skin as you age. I want to learn if you’ll have a receding hairline, if you’ll go prematurely grey, if all your hair will fall out. I want to learn… you.”

By the time Phineas had tapered off, not one of the three adults in the room had a dry eye. Charity had a soft smile, a hand over her mouth in an attempt to stop it from quivering as the tears wet her eyelashes, yet refused to roll down her cheeks. Phineas' eyes blazed with the passion for every word he spoke, his voice breaking on his final word with a perfectly timed tear slipping from the corner of his eye. Finally Phillip, who unashamedly had tears flowing down his cheeks, hands shaking as his hands came to lay over Phineas’ hands which still remained on his neck, grasping for stability.

When Phillip opened his mouth to reply, he couldn’t manage a word, only a soft gasp escaping his lips.

Standing from his perch on the edge of the table, Phineas leaned forward and planted his lips on Phillip’s forehead and held him there. Rubbing his nose into Phillip’s hair, Phineas finally spoke.

“Never. Don’t you dare, ever, say that you are not good enough.”


End file.
